Despite its hit, Flanagan’s expertise in uncovering human emotions at the height of supernatural extravagance is not reflected in the show.
Despite its hit, Flanagan’s expertise in uncovering human emotions at the height of supernatural extravagance is not reflected in the show.
This Halloween, Netflix is turning the clock backwards The Midnight Club, A horror-thriller adaptation based on the 1994 novel of the same name. Mike Flanagan, Netflix ,s prodigious horror filmmaker who directed such shows The Haunting of the Hill House, The Haunting of Bailey Manor, And midnight Mass, is back and explores the concept of mortality using storytelling as a tool. While he has previously demonstrated his ability to blend the human and the supernatural on screen, what leaves us mesmerized, he falters in his latest.
Spread over ten episodes, the show focuses on a group of mentally ill teenagers living in a hospice. Ilonka (Iman Benson), a teenager diagnosed with thyroid cancer, makes her way to hospice when she assures her foster father that she intends to make peace with his impending death. However, as soon as she moves into the hospice, Ilonka follows in the footsteps of Julia Jane, a patient whose diagnosis was similar to that of the one who lived in the hospice and eventually recovered. Ilonka follows the path of herbal tea, medicine, cult and pagan rituals to heal herself.
The Midnight Club
creator: mike flanagan
Throw: Iman Benson, Igby Rigne, Ruth Codd, Annara Simone, Aya Furukawa, Saurian Sapkota, William Chris Sumpter, Heather Langenkamp, Samantha Sloan
Episode: 10
Story: The show follows a group of mentally ill patients at Brightcliffe Hospice, who begin to gather together at midnight to share horror stories.
Simultaneously, teens take refuge in storytelling in their quest to make peace with mortality. Young adults meet at midnight to tell each other horror stories. In their stories, we find reflections of themselves as they create ghosts, witches and serial killers for their friends over a mug of wine. Through these stories, we see Flanagan introduce her characters. Igby Rigne as Kevin, Ilonka’s love interest; Ruth Codd as Anya, Ilonka’s roommate and a troubled former ballerina; William Chris Sumpter as Spencer, the abandoned child with AIDS; Annara Simone as Sandra, a devout Christian; As Adia Cheri, a pampered child of wealthy parents who never takes the time to meet her; Aya Furukawa as Natsuki, a cancer patient battling depression, and Saurian Sapkota as Amesh, a video-game enthusiast make for great stubborn teenagers who are full of compassion for each other. However, their behavior on screen may seem one-dimensional to them. The stories they tell are mini-adaptations of Pike’s novels dabbling in a range of genres, including allusions to time travel.
The world-building is exciting and reassuring in the first few episodes, however, in the middle of the show, one might find it exhausting to continue as the format becomes monotonous. Furthermore, what began as a clever exploration of mortality soon turned into a faded tale with forgettable horror stories and predictable jumps; Liberal use of jumpscares almost defeats their purpose. In the first episode, with a total of 21 jumpscares, the show made it to the Guinness Book of World Records!
The show is also a celebration of the chosen family. Watching the courageous teenagers is taking compassion and kinship to death. Spencer, a gay kid in the ’90s, reconciling with his conservative Christian mother and experiencing the joys of communal living with his friends, keeps spirits away and hearts shaken.
Despite its hit, it doesn’t reflect Flanagan’s expertise in evoking human emotions at the height of supernatural extravagance. The Midnight Club. However, the season finale leaves enough room for a second season. One can hope that he will use it to salvage the story.
Midnight Club is currently streaming on Netflix.